Trust Runs Thicker Than Blood
by KikaLee
Summary: A boy born with no family. A boy who had his family ripped from him. A girl that has nothing left but her family. All of their ideas of family are different. Different meanings, different experiences, and different heartstrings. However, it's this idea of family that pushes them on. Sasuke and Naruto discover a family that's like no other. How? For one, they were once Uchiha.
1. ooo

We all work for our family name, our family honor, and our family's freedom. Everything is about our family, even when we leave for our own lives. Because once we're on our own, we strive to create a family to link to our roots.

A boy born with no family.

A boy who had his family stripped away from him.

A girl that has nothing left but her family.

All of their ideas of family are different. Different meanings, different experiences, and different heartstrings. However, it's this idea of family that pushes them on. It's their drive, their motivation. Without family, they are left with something far worse than nothing. This hole cannot be filled. No matter how hard they try, there will be nothing in this world that can satiate their emptiness.

The first boy never experienced the bonds of a family. He was born with the emptiness that he never knew he had. He didn't know what it was like to come home to a warm welcome or get scolded by someone he cares about. Without ever knowing what he was missing, how could he possibly begin to understand the pain of living without it?

The second boy had a nice family, an honorable family. They worked hard. They were respected and sought after. He was born with expectations that reached up to the stars. He had bonds that once seemed unbreakable. A doting mother, a hardworking father and a loving brother. Then, one fateful night, everything changed. His world was torn apart. How does he have any chance of mending it together now that he was alone?

The girl was born into a family that was completely isolated. She never knew anyone outside of her warm relatives who smiled and laughed with her. A litter of siblings trailed after her and with pride, she raised them alongside her parents. She had a stable home and a steady business, never having to worry about the harshness of the world. Until, everything was destroyed. Her relatives, her parents, her home and her business… her siblings survived along with her but how can she protect and care for something with nothing to her name?

Sasuke recovered from a dark path with determination of teaching the world what it should be taught. Naruto surpassed all of his predecessors with drive of everyone's encouragement and admiration underneath him. Kira lives life with the purpose of protecting all the things she loves – which aren't things, at all.

Blood runs thicker than water – family should come first.

Trust runs thicker than blood – family isn't always the people you are related to.

* * *

**Hello, KikaLee here! Yay, quasi-second Naruto fanfic! Anyway, yes, this story has OCs in it. No, none of these OCs are necessarily paired up with any of the Naruto characters. My idea of family challenges those of mainly the Uchiha, as well as the Hyuuga and others. So I thought I'd write a story about it. Please enjoy this prologue and wait for the first chapter! **

**Also, please follow, favorite and review!**


	2. oo1

Sasuke was back in Konoha. The threat of the Infinite Tsukiyomi was over and everyone could live peacefully. Well, as peacefully as they can. Madara was defeated and things could run as normally as they were able to.

However, the bond between Sasuke and Naruto was distorted. And the two had no idea how to fix it.

Sasuke silently walked alongside a relaxed and sleepy Naruto as they headed towards the Hokage office. Missions of all sorts rang about that mainly dealt with the rebuilding of Konohagakure. There were some escort missions and document deliveries here and there. Of course, there were always hooligan criminals that thought they were above the law.

As soon as they opened the door to the Hokage's office, a loud clamoring was heard. Naruto yelped as all sorts of brushes and pens and ink bottles flew out of the room. He managed to dodge them just in time. Sasuke caught an ink bottle before throwing it behind him like all the others.

"I want a team out there now! If there's no way we can transport them here, we're sure as hell protecting them out there! I don't care what you have to say about it!" Lady Tsunade yelled as loudly as she could. She threw all the file papers she had on her desk in the air, exploding at the senior ninja who were scrambling to defend themselves.

"Hey, what's going on?" Naruto asked as soon as he was sure no papers and ink bottles were coming his way.

"These buffoons don't think it's right to answer a mission request! Well, damn right, we're going to answer it, whether you like it or not!" Tsunade shouted, raising her fist in the air. Naruto wondered idly if she got herself drunk somehow, someway.

"What's the mission for?" Sasuke asked, trying to pretend he wasn't interested. Naruto harrumphed moodily. Sasuke has been acting like he was on top of the world since the war.

Shikamaru, who was in the midst of the shinobi Tsunade was yelling at, looked back at both of them and let out a sheepish chuckle. "Let's go outside. Maybe she'll cool down enough to properly assign the mission to a team. In the meantime, I'll explain," he said, although it was barely audible due to Tsunade's constant yelling.

"Lately, there hasn't been a lot of crime. There hasn't been a lot of dangerous activity anywhere," Shikamaru began as he led the two up to the roof of the Hokage building. "Six months ago, there was a chain of murders surrounding a single family. Now, this family isn't all that suspicious. They're farmers, living off the land. They kept to themselves in the forest that neighbored the Land of Fire and the Land of Sound."

A minute emotion surfaced on Sasuke's face. Shikamaru took notice but said nothing.

"The family consisted of three sisters and one brother." Before he said anything else, he took out a scroll from his flak jacket pocket. It appeared to be a pedigree, starting with three sisters and a brother. "These are all the recorded family members Konohagakure knows about. Two sons, Akihiko and Eiji, for the eldest sister, an only son, Shin, for the middle sister and the youngest son has two sons, Minoru and Hiro, as well. Four of these five boys have become shinobi in our village. Eiji's whereabouts are unknown."

"So, wait, what are with all these question marks with the youngest sister?" Naruto asked, eyeing the scroll with a finger on his chin.

"There are only three confirmed daughters of the youngest sister. However, we know that there's ten children, the youngest being only six months," Shikamaru explained, pointing to the three triangles then the seven question marks beside them.

"How do you know that there are ten children but nothing about their gender or age?" Sasuke asked coldly, his eyes as emotionless as possible. Shikamaru's eyebrow twitched. The Uchiha's tone didn't do well to his already cautious nerves.

"The last murders from six months ago were at the Konohagakure hospital. It was the youngest sister and her husband." From another pocket of his flak jacket, he took out Polaroid pictures off a crime scene. A male's body lay on the ground, stomach up to show the protrusions of the kunai placed in him. It lay next to a hospital bed, where a woman limply sat supported by pillows. Her head was mauled by shuriken, destroying her face with carnage and metal. The woman still had the baby bump from the pregnancy. "Attached to the photo was a note from the nurse that read 'Koichi and Sayuri of the Forest, parents to the ten Children of the Forest'. They were ambushed just as the nurse left to clean the baby. When the nurse introduced the newborn to the children and ushered them into the hospital room, this was waiting for them."

Naruto gulped and seized the picture for himself. It was more of a slaughter than anything. To see that happen to someone you care about so much… Naruto couldn't imagine the pain of it. However, Sasuke did, whether he liked to show it or not.

"The Children of the Forest and two shinobi stayed alive after the chain of murders. Minoru and Hiro weren't people I knew very well. I became acquaintances with them during the war. The two looked almost like polar opposites. They were excellent fighters and even better brothers. Hiro idolized Minoru and Minoru did everything in his power to protect Hiro," Shikamaru explained with a soft chuckle, "I remember, at a celebration after the war, Minoru and Hiro were laughing and gambling like there was no tomorrow. Hiro was only thirteen but he had the laugh of an old grizzly bear. They were nasty cheaters and even worse comedians. Still, everyone had the time of their lives…"

Naruto let out a small smile, thinking how nice it'd be to meet Minoru and Hiro. He bet that they'd all get along nicely.

"… This was taken yesterday."

The Polaroid picture was one that was not unlike the first. The younger-looking one, with blonde hair and an 'x' scar on both cheeks, looked to have an explosion burn him on his stomach, leaving almost nothing there. The other, older black-haired man looked to be decapitated, though Naruto couldn't tell with the picture's lighting. It was Minoru and Hiro.

"I'm not sure if the Children of the Forest heard of the news yet. But the caretaker of Minoru and Hiro, an old friend of the family, requested the protection of the Children by a team of well-trained shinobi. If the assassins could stomach the idea of killing a thirteen-year-old, there's no doubt that they wouldn't have any trouble murdering other kids. Advisors everywhere are against the idea because the Children of the Forest fled from their ancestral home and now reside in one of the villages in the Land of Fire. No one knows the location of them and no one knows how to track them down. No scent trails, no photographs, no anything. It's a pretty dead end," Shikamaru said with a sigh. He gathered the two photographs of the murders, as well as fastened the pedigree scroll. "Lady Tsunade won't let it go and I don't blame her."

A breeze fell upon the trio. There was a silence that tensed up with each moment the boys were left to their thoughts. Naruto tightened his fists, his teeth gritting. It was the Hokage's job to do the right thing and if he was going to be Hokage, then damn right, he's going to do the right thing.

"Alright! You better hear this loud and clear!" Naruto yelled as he jumped onto the railing Shikamaru and Sasuke were leaning on. Shikamaru let out a wry smile while the Uchiha harrumphed. "These kids need my help! And I'm going to protect them, no matter what dumb ol' advisors say! I never go back on my word so make sure you remember! You're going to have to lock me up in chains if you want me to stay!"

* * *

"Aw man!" Naruto whined as he pulled at the chakra-infused chains. His bottom lip puckered as he sulked.

"We're assembling a team, Naruto, don't worry. For now, the 'dumb ol' advisors' would rather have you here while we set one up," Shikamaru called out with a laugh. Sasuke, Kiba, and Hinata were waiting alongside Shikamaru.

"Man, this is the first tracking mission I've had in ages! I'm ready to go!" Kiba barked out, throwing his fist in the air. Akamaru agreed, letting out a canine bark of his own. "Still, I don't see why Sasuke is here. He's got no tracking tale –"

A kitana was poised and set at Kiba's neck, cutting off what he was about to say. Sasuke's eyes flashed a menacing red and black before returning to their natural color. "I volunteered."

"Please, no fighting," Hinata meekly exclaimed, throwing her hands in front of her to make a soothing motion. A light flush appeared across her pale cheeks. "The more, the merrier, right? B-Besides, this is also a mission to protect, Kiba-kun. I'm sure Sasuke-kun's an e-excellent protector…"

Sasuke scoffed as a reaction, before sheathing his kitana. Kiba began to grumble, crossing his arms. The canine handler looked more like a grumpy child than anything at the moment.

"Ah, Lee! Got any word on Sakura or Choji?" Shikamaru asked as the green ball of energy entered the room. Lee saluted Shikamaru before shaking his head.

"I sincerely apologize but it appears that they're on missions of their own," Lee reported. Shikamaru gave a small nod before Lee bounced off. Of course, not without showing a bright grin and a huge, youthful thumbs-up to Naruto. The blonde began to sulk some more, an aura of blue murkiness surrounding the chained teenager.

"I-I hope Naruto-kun is okay," Hinata murmured, mostly to herself. Sasuke took one good look at her, which made her go red, before he looked at the Uzumaki. He continued to pull at his chains, sulking and muttering words to himself over and over again. Sasuke wondered what was so great about Naruto for the umpteenth time.

* * *

**For those who don't know: pedigrees are basically a chart that shows a family and their relations. Triangles mean women and squares mean men. Depending on what the pedigree is used for, they can be basic lines or colored-in shapes. Since this pedigree is for tracking the murders of six months ago, the deceased would be colored in and the living would be outlined. Just for knowledge's sake.**

**Anyway, please enjoy this first chapter! Thanks for reading and don't forget to favorite, follow and review! - KikaLee**


	3. oo2

"This is the village! See, I told you I'd find it!" Kiba exclaimed, laughing as he rubbed his thumb against his nose. With a hup, Akamaru bounded down the dirt road to narrow down the street and even possibly the specific house.

Naruto didn't take long to follow suit, grinning with a strange excitement. He's never met a family as big as the Children of the Forest. He wondered how they acted, how they spent time together, how they managed to deal with so many mouths to feed. Most of all, he wondered if they ate ramen as much as he did.

Sasuke, Shikamaru and Hinata were tense as they walked altogether down the dirt road. It was silent, a daunting silence that threatened to crush them if they pursued it any longer. Hinata was an anxious mess, scared to even talk to the Uchiha and far too nervous to strike up a conversation with Shikamaru. Shikamaru studied Sasuke, especially the way that he had to be at least one pace ahead of the other two. And the way his hand idly laid on the holster of his kitana, regardless of if he was thinking about it or not. Analyzing, always analyzing. It was something Shikamaru was good at and even more so, it was something Sasuke was used to.

Before the Uchiha could say anything about it, two girls ran past them, coming from behind. They were so close to Hinata that she squeaked in response, stepping towards the other two hastily. Laughter emanated from the two girls. They were younger than the others, smiling widely as they held plastic bags full of food. They kept looking back, as if to make sure that someone was following. Not a moment later, a boy – almost identical to one of the girls – ran past them, carrying a bag and a small box underneath his underarm.

"Here! Can't have them broken like last time!" he yelled. The boy dug his heel into the ground before throwing a carton of eggs into the air. Then, he bolted off quickly, catching up to the two girls effortlessly. Laughter of all sorts, teasing and casual and bubbly, escaped the trio like a rush of doves from their cages.

"No, no, no, no!" a smaller voice exclaimed. Sasuke registered his presence just in time for him to dodge out of the way. He looked to be the youngest out of all of the children who passed. He dove for the eggs and rolled onto the dirt. He took a second to check the condition of the eggs. Thankfully, all of them were intact. He jumped up to his feet.

There was an undeniable happiness about the boy, although it was obvious he was being picked on by the other children.

He had his blackish grey hair in a low ponytail. His arms were covered in bandages, wearing a black high-collar t-shirt and baggy white shorts. He held the eggs like a football before turning to the trio of shinobi.

"Sorry! My brother gets like that sometimes! I hope I didn't get you dirty!" he exclaimed, his voice filled to the brim with polite cheeriness. Sasuke let out a constrained gasp, his teeth gritting and his eyes narrowing.

For the boy looked exactly like a nine-year-old Itachi Uchiha.

Before Sasuke could even let out a word, the boy began to run down the dirt road, following the other children. He disappeared behind a right corner, just like the others. Shikamaru noticed Sasuke's sudden reaction and judging from how similar they looked like each other, he figured there were some heartstrings pulled. How, he couldn't be sure of.

* * *

"Here's the house and just as I predicted, ten different scents in there!" the canine handler exclaimed. The house was larger than most, although it looked as mediocre as the rest of the village. It stood two stories high and looked to be actually quite traditional. "Four kids rushed in there, hollering on about supper. This has to be it!"

"Four? Did one of them have a carton of eggs?" Hinata asked quietly, looking towards Kiba and Naruto with soft eyes. They looked like sweet and mischievous kids. But, with the way Sasuke reacted to the youngest boy, she was worried that he might hurt them. After all, he hurt Naruto.

"Yeah, now that I think about it," Kiba exclaimed, scratching the top of his head.

Sasuke suddenly tightened his hold on the handle of his kitana. Naruto and Kiba didn't notice, they were too busy asking each other what the family would be cooking. Hinata and Shikamaru could only notice the tension that shook through the Uchiha's body. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

Suddenly, the door to the house slid open. A small girl looked up at them, showing a wide, toothy grin. She had pale skin with rosy cheeks. Her irises were black and circular, appearing like an adorable doll's. Her navy hair was put up into two ponytails on the side of her head. She had on a plain, white tank top with white elbow warmers with royal blue buckles on the cuffs. She had on bright blue shorts that revealed her knees.

"Visitors!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "We have visitors! Visitors, visitors!"

The small girl ran inside, leaving the door open. Clamoring of all sorts could be heard inside from pans slamming to kids shouting to babies crying and the same girl scream 'visitors' over and over again.

The five shinobi had no idea how to respond to such exuberance.

"Oh, Leaf shinobi!" a woman exclaimed as she came into view. She held a squirming baby in her arms, who whimpered and whined like a small puppy. The baby wore a black sleeper with a white plastic bib. The babe's hair was ebony black, and it spiked in the slightest at the top of her head. "Is there anything we can help you with?"

Naruto didn't say anything as he stepped towards the young woman. She was shorter than him by a considerate amount. Still, his eyes were narrowed, squinting at the features of her face. He took her midnight black bangs that reached down to her collarbone and were parted down the middle and held them up, making them shorter. She blinked once and gave him a light scowl.

A very familiar scowl.

Naruto let a shiver course through his entire body, visible to everyone around him.

"A female Sasuke!" Naruto cried, stepping back so he was balancing on one leg. He held his arms up to cover his vital areas.

The young woman's face was clearly unamused as she bounced the baby in her arms. She patted the babe on its back, soothing her so she wouldn't whine. "Sir, what are you talking about? I'd appreciate it if you don't call me Sasuke and please hurry, I have to start supper soon."

"Calm down, Naruto, she's not Uchiha. Uchihas have a specific scent, they all have it in them. This family doesn't. I guess it's just a freak of nature," Kiba explained, raising his shoulders to deem the whole thing as useless banter.

"If there's nothing we can help you with, please be on your way," the woman snapped suddenly, losing the once motherly aura she had when she tended to the door. She was about to slam the door when Sasuke stopped it. Hinata squeaked as the rest of the team fell silent.

"We would like to stay for supper. We bring news that your family needs to hear," Sasuke stated emotionlessly. There was a pause as the woman contemplated what to do. The baby began to coo, playing with the bangs Naruto had been playing with moments before. The rest of her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, secured by a light purple ribbon.

With a heavy sigh, the woman opened the rest of the door so that the shinobi could enter. "Please, take off your shoes. As guests, you don't have to help with cooking or cleaning –"

"Alright!" Naruto yelled, throwing his fist in the air.

"You might want to duck."

"What?"

A yell echoed from inside as a body was hurled out the door, crashing straight into Naruto. The blonde had to ask, while the others simply obeyed. The smaller body groaned as he rolled off of the pummeled teenager. It was the boy from before, who threw the eggs into the air.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault! How was I supposed to know the eggs were bad?! Hey! Get back here!" the boy yelled, composing himself easily. He scrambled back into the house, yelling after some unknown voice that taunted him endlessly.

The woman sighed. "It's a good thing you guys are shinobi. This place can be a battlefield sometimes. Please, come in."


	4. oo3

The young woman had on a short, black body suit that only went up to the top of her thighs. Over top of that, she wore a white midriff shirt with long sleeves and wider cuffs. Buttons ran along the middle of her shirt, being able to open to become more of a cardigan. She was barefoot, her pale, milky legs smooth as porcelain. Although she looked to be the head of the house, she no looked no older than Naruto himself.

"My name is Kira of the Forest," she introduced herself, jutting out her hip so the baby's bottom could rest on it. The baby cooed happily. "This little one is Kae, she's the youngest out of all of us."

Hinata smiled and approached the small baby. "She's absolutely adorable," she said as she brushed her finger against the baby's cheek. As a result, the baby squealed, thrashing her arms about excitedly.

"I'm Shikamaru, the leader of this team for now. This is Naruto, Hinata, Kiba and Akamaru and… Sasuke," the shinobi with his shoulder-length hair tied up in a high ponytail said, motioning to each member of the team.

"Sasuke, huh?" Kira asked with the slightest bit of distaste. Her snippy attitude seeped into her voice without end. She stared at the Uchiha, who returned the look with icy eyes. "Eh, well, I guess I see the resemblance."

"You guess? You guys areidentical!" Naruto cried, receiving twice the amount of scowls he normally would. Kira quickly retreated away from the small mudroom into the next room.

"Everyone, come introduce yourselves to these Leaf shinobi, they're going to stay for dinner," she proclaimed, the voice the only distinct noise against the clamor and chatter.

As the five teenagers entered the room, which happed to a huge merging of the kitchen and the living room, children of all ages rushed to them. They all had similar features, like their eye color, pale skin, and their bare footedness, but they also had prominent features that set them apart from one another.

"I'll go first. My name is Kettei –"

"And I'm Ryu!"

"These are the twins," Kira explained, motioning to the two children. They looked to be about twelve or thirteen.

Ryu was a girl, with chubby cheeks and thin lips. She had an 'x' scar on her right cheek. Her eyes were dark orbs, a brilliant black that shimmered like the night sky. The right side of her head was shaven, whereas the rest of her hair reached just below her bust. Her hair was a deep black, with royal purple highlights, and effortlessly cascaded to the left, semi-covering her left eye. She wore a black pullover hoodie with a white skirt that fell just below her fingertips and fishnet leggings that reached down to her mid-calf. Her smile was sweet and warm, given her more charismatic appearance.

Kettei was a boy, also with chubby cheeks and thin lips. He had his 'x' scar on his left cheek. His eyes shimmered with more of a black fire, rather than twinkling stars. The left side of his head was shaven and his hair fell just above his chin. It all brushed to the left, giving his bangs volume as it combed over to cover just little less than half of his right eye. He wore a white pullover hoodie, identical to Ryu's, save for the color. He had black baggy shorts on that cut off at his knees, with fishnet that covered half of his calf.

Naruto squinted at them, trying to remember who was who. Kettei was the boy and Ryu was the girl. Kettei was the left x and Ryu was the right x. Boy was left and girl was right. Right and left was the only way to tell them apart, other than their clothes… what were their names again?

"I'm Kiyone!" a small, six-year-old child exclaimed. Naruto recognized the girl as the one who screamed "visitors". She shone another bright, toothy grin. The blonde noticed that she lost three teeth, two on the bottom and one on the top. She ran up to Hinata, smiling widely as she hugged her legs. The Hyuuga's cheeks began to flush adorably. She patted Kiyone's back and the little girl laughed and called out "sunny, sunny" in response.

"Koharu!" one of the smaller children said. She looked to be about four. She wore a simple yukata dress that was light purple in color, decorated with blue flowers of all sorts onto the silk. Her sash was a darker shade of purple, almost equivalent to that of purple grapes. Her thick, black hair was pulled up into a high bun where she wore an ornate, purple-blue comb over it to keep it in place. She had straight bangs that fit snugly above her eyeline. She was carrying a small crystal ball that fit in her palm. Her smile was dazzling, similar to the way snow glistened on a sunny, winter day.

"My name is Kitsune and this is Takara," a teenager stated matter-of-factly. She seemed rather cold as she held the two-year-old child up, even if the child was pinching her cheeks and nuzzling her nose against them. She wore her long, thick, ebony black hair in a French braid that came down to just above her bust. Her right shin was covered by a silver protector, the buckles wrapping around her calf. She wore short, black shorts. She had fishnet shorts underneath them, the mesh covering her thighs. Her pale stomach was bare. Kitsune wore a midriff black tank-top blouse lined with copper buttons on the front. She wore black, fingerless racer gloves. She wore no makeup, although, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Even with her cold scowl the predominant feature of her. That and the three whisker-like scars on each cheek. Identical to Naruto's.

Takara wasn't paying attention to the visitors. She wore a cute little dress with a blue-and-white plaid skirt and a royal blue ribbon sash. The top of the shirt was a sweet, ivory white color. She was the only one with clothed feet, even if she wore no shoes. The tights were white cotton. She had lilac-colored hair that was in a shaggy bob hairstyle. Her bangs fell over her face, covering up to her nose. Her small, pale hands pushed them out of her eyes often, only for them to fall back again. Kitsune deeply sighed before tying her bangs up in a sprout-like ponytail on top of her head. As a result, Takara clapped her hands joyously before checking her surroundings. Her eyes widened when she saw the strangers. She simply stared.

"It's my turn, I guess, um, my name's Kairi," one of the older teenagers muttered out, although she was one of the shortest. Her lilac-colored hair was a little less than shoulder-length, half of it pinned up in a small bun. Her bangs framed her face, reaching just below her eyeline. She wore the smallest hint of lip tint, a light blossom pink. She had a long, form-fitting, white shirt with no sleeves, the hem loosening to act like a very short skirt. The long, white sleeves she had had wide cuffs and they were much too long for her arms. They were connected to her shirt with black buckles that were about two inches long. She wore black, loose capris that came down to the middle of her calf.

Kiba didn't think too much of their names and appearances. Instead, he memorized their scents. Akamaru did the same, as well. Hinata simply tended to Kiyone, who had attached herself to her side. She was sure she could meet each and every one of the Children throughout the course of their mission. Shikamaru was carefully analyzing each and every one of them, trying to decipher their personalities simply through their introductions. Naruto was still trying to remember the names of the twins.

"Where's the nine-year-old?" Sasuke suddenly demanded. Kira wasn't paying attention to the Uchiha. Instead, she looked out the back door into the backyard. She was leaning against the doorframe, Kae chewing on the purple ribbon that was holding her hair up. Slowly, the others began to look over at her.

"Kibo is over here. He didn't hear me," she told the others.

"Aw, man, he's still trying to perfect that jump?" Kettei asked, exasperated as he bounded towards the porch door. The door was at the back of the living room, which was really a big room with a couch and chairs.

"Not everyone can handle being a failure like you and they actually practice," Kitsune retorted, putting Takara down and walking towards the young boy. Takara simply continued to stare at the shinobi, trying to figure out whether or not she can pinch their cheeks.

Kettei didn't hesitate to punch Kitsune's arm. She didn't respond. Sasuke followed the group of children.

He saw something familiar that he didn't particularly want to see. He saw Itachi practicing, being the best he can be and improving himself. Over and over again, getting every single detail perfected. Quickly, he stalked off. Out of the living room and kitchen and out the door.

"Hey, Kibo, don't twist your ankle like that! It might throw you off balance!" Ryu called out, cupping her hands so the small boy could hear.

Kibo stopped and looked at the group that gathered at the doorway. He smiled widely, although it was still very sheepish. He began to sway back and forth on his heels, looking at all the eyes that were on him. "What's going on?" he asked.

"You've upset the man that looks like me and I couldn't be happier, baby boy," Kira called out. Kibo smiled even wider, even if he had no idea what she was talking about.

* * *

**Heyo! KikaLee here, and sorry for the next two chapters. I've had to introduce the Children of the Forest and in the next, talk about their cousins. It may seem bland (okay, they're really bland) but I hope you stick around to enjoy them!**


	5. oo4

"So why don't you like being called Sasuke? Huh?" Naruto asked slyly, standing near Kira as she prepared dinner. The baby that was usually glued to her was playing in the living room, surrounded by her other siblings.

"I used to visit Konohagakure. Our older cousins, who were Leaf shinobi like you, all loved to see us while they were training. Said it gave them inspiration," the young woman began to explain, her snippy attitude lingering in her voice. The other three shinobi were investigating the house, although they just asked to take a look around. It never hurt to be too cautious. "But, every time I'd come visit, all the children began to squeal 'Sasuke-kun! Sasuke!' I never got to experience making friends because I was too busy explaining to everyone there that I wasn't Sasuke. The name just doesn't rub against me right anymore."

"Our cousins begged us to come anyway. And we did. Until… well, I assume you Leaf shinobi knows what happened to our family," she muttered, stirring the broth that she was in the process of cooking. Her eyes turned somber. Naruto lowered his head as his blue eyes shimmered with sympathy.

"Yeah, I know, and I'm sorry," he said softly, his back leaning against the counter by the stove. He faced towards the opposite wall, where three different frames were hung up. Naruto looked at each of them intently.

The first was of two brothers that looked very similar to one another. There were differences, of course – the first one wore his dark brown hair short and spiky and the second grew it out to his shoulders, keeping it up in a high ponytail. The first brother had a bright grin and deep, purple eyes. The second looked more suave, crossing his arms as he showed off a charismatic half-smile. His eyes were a lilac color. The first brother wore a Leaf head protector across his forehead, wearing a white jacket with a blue shirt underneath. The second didn't wear anything of the sort but wore thick, traditional armour.

Akihiko and Eiji of the Forest.

"Akihiko was a wonderful health-nin. He was studying the heart, trying to find a way to make an avian heart within a human so we'd be able to fly without the use of machines and simply our chakra. He just mastered the technique, able to fly for three months before…" Kira gave a huge sigh. She was leaning against the counter like Naruto, looking back and forth towards the photo and him.

"Eiji was a very… neutral man. He didn't want to get involved with shinobi and all of its politics. Still, he wanted to learn how to defend what he loves and live with honor. Leave it to Eiji to leave all the way to the Land of Iron to become a samurai. He never spoke much but his wordless training with everyone was proof enough to show that he loved us. He was the first to pass, almost two months ahead of everyone else… he didn't tell them anything," she croaked out. The way she told him, it was easy to tell she was holding back. Even then, she continued on as Naruto looked at the middle picture, studying it.

The man had crimson hair, so deep that it almost looked mahogany. It was shaggy, the fringe almost covering his eyes. However, the black orbs managed to cockily shine through his bangs. He wore a grin that almost mirrored Akihiko's. His forehead protector was nowhere in sight. However, he still wore the traditional Konoha shinobi flak jacket and undershirt. Despite the cockiness, he was making a heart with his two hands, holding it over his chest.

Shin of the Forest.

"Shin was my best friend, other than my sister, of course. And the worst rivals. Everything I could do, Shin had to better. Everything he could do, I would whine that I couldn't do it. Shin was a huge protective figure, though. If a boy so much as looked at one of us, he'd puff up like a big rooster and butt heads with him. All of us got into scuffles with him at one point in our lives. Still, we made up with red bean ice cream and heat pads on our bruises. He was one of the best taijutsu fighters I've seen. I even heard he trained with Might Gai! Isn't he a legend?" she asked, going back to tend with the food.

Naruto let out a nervous laugh, thinking of the man with the green leotard and orange legwarmers. Sure, a legend. He guessed she could call Gai-sensei that. He looked back at the last picture. Of two familiar faces.

Minoru had dark hair that was kept in a braid, reaching down to his back. He had his two index fingers hooked into his mouth, his tongue drooping out like a dog's. His maroon eyes were cross-eyed. He had the Leaf insignia on his black fingerless gloves, the metal piece shining against the camera's flash. Hiro was pinching his cheeks, the cheeks that both had 'x' scars on them. He had them stretched out, flattening his face as his tongue was also out for the camera to see. His deep, purple eyes were as wide as he could get them, contrasting greatly with the pulled features of his face. His blonde hair was straight, reaching down to just below his chin. He wore his forehead protector on his forehead.

"I can't wait to see them again. Minoru and Hiro, I mean. I just got to get rid of that silly picture. We have a tradition of putting up photos of the last visit we've had with them. So, I had to put up that picture of them being all goofy. That was only two weeks ago. Our next visit to Konohagakure should be within the next week or two. Our visits became more frequent after all that's happened. Before baby was born, we'd only see them every other month or so. Maybe, we can all have dinner one day. I'm sure Minoru and Hiro would love to meet you. They tease me about being called 'Sasuke', too," she explained, her voice ringing with a happy hum. She thought Minoru and Hiro were still alive.

Naruto thought about what he knew. And it crushed him.

"You guys were all close, hey?" Naruto asked, looking at the five boys. They all looked so happy, so carefree. He wanted to meet each and every one of them.

"Yeah… everyone loved everyone. Sure, we got into arguments and fights but that's what people do. What's matter is after the fights. Apologies and red bean ice cream," she explained with a soft smile dancing on the corner of her lips.

"Hey, Naruto, things all clear?" Shikamaru asked as he entered the kitchen.

Naruto froze, his smile turning more and more nervous as the others began to pile in. He began to stammer and rub the nape of his neck. All in all, he didn't do what he was supposed to.

"The others are in the living room and the backyard. It's almost supper time. Can you tell the ones outside to come in, please?" the woman asked, looking towards the shinobi.

"Of course, no problem," Shikamaru said as an automatic response.

"C'mon, let's get the kids," Shikamaru said, grabbing Naruto by the collar and dragging him towards the living room.

"You smell familiar," Kiba suddenly proclaimed, sitting down at the large table in the middle of the dining room. "Not like an Uchiha, I'm sure you're used to that."

"Mm, very," Kira muttered mindlessly as she placed the finishing touches on the dinner, which happened to be beef rice bowls. She took a glance towards Sasuke, who hadn't said anything the entire time he entered the house. He was eyeing her suspiciously.

"But you smell like someone I've met. I just can't put my finger on it, it's as if you're some rare flower my sister brought home that I can never remember the name of," the canine handler explained. Kira knit her brows together. She then proceeded to take a good look at the Inuzuka. She was studying him, trying to find anything recognizable.

"You said smell. Do you always smell people you've just met?"

At least, that's what Hinata and Kiba thought she was doing.


End file.
